Sorry it took so long, as usual real life was a butt, but thanks to the RWBY crew tossing out another video about the World of Remnant, I've got more time! So this time I decided to do each chapter focusing on two characters alone and this chapter is the Luxus and Knives chapter, what mischief will our heroes get into?

RWBY: The Darkness Within

Season 2- Chapter 17

To Sharpen a Blade…

One must Steel their Spirit

Luxus walked through the streets he knew all too well, easily floating through the crowds moving towards the one place he could get information that his father never bothered with. The rival family in this town was the Zebros family, considered the darkness to the Rayfor's light; mostly due to their Faunus heritage, but Luxus knew better. He entered the large casino owned by them and quickly went to the bar to the far left. "Vino Rubicante, the older the better." He said to the girl behind the bar who turned to face him with a smile. She wore a bartender's shirt and vest with slacks, she had golden eyes and wavy black hair with white streaks in it.

"So the prodigal son returns, huh?" She smirked.

"Hello Melody, is your father here?" He asked as she handed him the wine he drank in full force.

She looked shocked at his sudden consumption of the beverage he always savored, "Um yeah, he's in the skybox, I'll call him down." She reached for the red phone beneath the bar used for emergencies and explained the situation to her father as he came down quickly with a grin on his face. He was a burly man who wore a large red coat with yellow trim and a frilled shirt like Luxus' with a yellow vest. He wore black pants and had leather boots. His hair was a striped mess of white and black, and he had piercing golden eyes.

"Ah, Luxus Rayfor von Würfel! My little Gambling Gunman, so how fare the ladies of Beacon?" He asked in his usual flamboyant cheerfulness. Luxus took after this man more than his father, as it was here he received the title Gambling Gunman, learned how to talk to women, and how to gamble. His father taught him how to be a businessman and a killer, but it's Vino who taught him how to be a man.

"They're nice, nothing like the local flavor, but I've found a girl." He said with a faint smile remembering Newt.

"Ah, well then she'll have to meet your other family!" He chuckled, he wasn't far off either; his father's older sister Maria married Vino because Luxus' great-grandfather saw the need for peace in Würfel and that the union of the Zebros and Rayfor would breed all sorts of joyous activity. However, his grandfather and father saw them as competition and so there was a feud between the two families for the most part.

"Oh I also saw mother and Lilith in Vale; you may want to tell Martin. I know he was always sweet on Lilith and I think he'd like to see her again." He said with a chuckle as Vino roared with laughter.

"Pawning off your sister Luxus, I didn't know you were so like your father." He chuckled.

"Oh I'm leagues different from him, first off she likes Martin, and second I'm actually letting her be near a Zebros." To this they all roared with laughter.

"Melody, open up the good whiskey!" She did as told and poured out three shots as they clinked the glasses together and downed the shots quickly. Melody hacked while her father laughed and Luxus exhaled slowly and laughed.

"So what brings you here boy?" He asked.

"I'm looking for information, about an imminent attack by the White Fang." He said as Vino looked shocked.

"Here in Würfel!? Why!?" He exclaimed, Luxus motioning for him to be quiet.

"I'm guessing it's because of father, but I don't know who within the city would help them." He said thinking about it as he saw them both flinch, not noticeably, but enough that someone like him could see it. "Vino, you taught me well, but my eyes are far sharper than yours, what aren't you telling me?"

"It's nothing Luxus, please I beg of you, don't pry anymore." He pleaded with his golden eyes.

Luxus quickly scanned both of them, his eyes barely registering movement to them, but he was taking in every detail. He noticed it when Melody tilted her head nervously to try and not match Luxus' gaze, a brief splotch of purple. Faster than a viper, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, and Vino looked ready for a fight when he saw the look in Luxus' eyes. It wasn't the look of a man about to harm his daughter, but the look of a protector about to do something rash. "Melody," He started staring her down with eyes that saw only rage and death, "Who put this mark on you." The words left his mouth calmly but carried the weight of a murderer.

Vino was shocked and saw the mark and he felt his blood boil as well, but his rage was dwarfed by the anger of Luxus whose childhood friend and cousin had been injured. "It's nothing." She said trying to break free.

"I will not ask again, tell me who it is or I will make you tell me." He said with force as a few men dressed in casual clothing approached him, the man in the center however bore the authority. He wore a flowing black coat with two marks on the shoulder, the mark of Vale military, and a mark of three claws. He had on a grey button down and black slacks, with white shoes. His Faunus mark was a pair of wolf ears that showed from his head.

"We suggest you let the lady go." He said.

"Lupin." She tried to get out before he fixed his gaze on her.

"Shut up babe, well pretty boy, do you understand me, huh?" He said as his boys chuckled and gathered around.

Luxus took stock of them, four men and their leader, a cakewalk. "I will ask you three questions, answer correctly and you get to leave here alive." He said coldly.

"Is this a joke, fuck you!" He said to another rumble of laughter.

"Question 1: Did you harm Melody?" He said, his whole body shaking with each word.

"No, she fell." He said calmly, realizing the situation as the cannon-fodder around him were too dense to understand.

"Question 2: Why are you dating Melody, honestly?"

"Because she's a Faunus," He said before seeing the look in Luxus' eyes, "And they're a family with connections."

"Final Question: Do you work for the White Fang?" He asked with deep hatred.

Before getting a response the man punched him through the bar and walked over to him where he proceeded to lay into him with his fists. Melody cried out, but was held back by one of the goons as the other three held back Vino and beat him up too.

"This is crazy." A patron mumbled

"Well what did you expect, Faunus are nothing more than wild animals." One replied.

"I guess the Zebros are no different." Another patron said as they all started to begin saying horrible things about the Faunus.

When the Faunus was finished he looked down at Luxus' bloody face as he smirked, "Had enough yet, hero?"

The whole casino went quiet, as Melody shook, "Luxus? Luxus!?"

"A Rayfor?"

"Oh, this is bad, the Zebros will surely get it now." The patrons began before they heard the soft laughter, the laugher coming from the broken boy.

"Enough? Please," He chuckled as his hand shot out and locked the leader's throat in a vice-grip as he squirmed, clawed, and screamed silently, "My girlfriend hits harder than this."

He lifted the thug off the ground and slammed his head into the metal rail in the bar, completely shattering it as the Faunus slumped into unconsciousness. His men ran in to help their leader, and Luxus smiled. He moved past the first one before they could notice what happened and delivered a powerful chop that made an audible crack resonate through the casino as the man dropped to the floor unconscious, the next two ran with their fists raised and Luxus planted his hands on the ground as they swung, stopping each fist with a foot of his. He spun, knocking the fists away as his feet were a constant windmill of kicks to the men's heads. The last one stopped in his tracks as he met Luxus' cold violet eyes in the face that bore no wicked smile, no gleam of insanity, just sheer fury. "T-the devil! The devil is here!" He screamed as he tried to run and Luxus picked up a shot-glass off the bar and threw it with great strength like one would throw a throwing knife. It struck the man in the back of the neck and he slumped to the floor unconscious as well. Melody looked at her cousin in the midst of all that chaos and couldn't agree more, he looked like the devil.

When the dust settled, Luxus walked calmly over and grabbed the leader by the throat and began to leave the casino, "Luxus, what are you going to do with him?" Melody cried as he stopped in his tracks.

"You should flay that filthy Faunus!"

"String him up!"

"Burn him!" The mob chanted.

"SHUT UP!" Luxus roared back at them, "You all fucking disgust me, go die."

They cleared the casino quickly and ran away, as Luxus exhaled, "I'm not going to do anything to him Melody, that will be the job of another friend of mine. I just want answers, and I intend to get them. For now, I'm going to call my girlfriend." He left the casino and drew out his phone placing the call. It rang for a bit before Newt answered.

"How the fuck do you use this thing? Hello!?" She screamed into the phone.

"Hey Newt." He replied with a laugh.

"Oh Luxus I can hear you, this is cool. What's up?"

"I got a good lead on my mission, but I caught some trouble. It was thanks to your training that I was able to endure."

"No problem, pretty boy. So what's the lead?"

"Ah, just some Faunus causing trouble. I don't know why every Faunus catches flak for the White Fang's misdeeds."

There was a pause on the other line followed by a sigh, "Luxus, there's something I need to tell you."

One must Balance their Internal and External Strength

Knives walked through the unfamiliar streets focusing on externalizing his aura as he drew it away from his blood cells and focused on making a shield that hovered just outside his skin. He focused at first on something small like his finger and he would see the occasional flash of red before it faded again and he tried hard to exert his energy into doing it. "No good, I'm just not used to this. I'll have to find an easier way to do it." He said as he paced and was struck by a brilliant idea, so he made a call.

"Hello?"

"Caedan! Hey cuz, how's it going?" He said enthusiastically into the phone.

"Alex!? Oh my god it's been too long, how are you!?" The boy cried with enthusiasm.

"Eh, I'm fine. Hey, is Cyan there?"

"No, last I heard he was in Wurfel for something."

"Well that's incredibly convenient." Knives said with shock and sarcasm.

"Huh? Why?" Caedan asked a bit worried.

"Don't worry about it, I just needed some aura tutoring. Hey if I see him I'll ask him, but next time I'm in Vale we need to get together okay?"

"Definitely." The younger boy said as Knives hung up the phone.

"Well, I guess if he's here I can ask him about aura and whatever shady deals are going on." He said as he continued to walk down the street realizing slowly he had no idea where he was. "Um I guess I should ask someone."

He noticed a man looking at a map with a black beanie and a brown cloak. "Excuse me sir, I'm looking for a way back to the town square?"

The man turned to face him, and the man's face was covered in bandages as was his body. "Bloody Knives, target." He said before rushing in to attack Knives who only had seconds to raise his blade to defend.

No time to call for help, I just have to hold out and wait! Knives thought to himself as he prepared to face the unknown adversary.

Yup! The Sandman is here at last, and Luxus has turned into an official badass! What will Newt's secret be? Only she knows...well Luxus will soon, and I know, but WHATEVER! Anyway, I have a lot to accomplish today and not a lot of time so I must be off! Follow/Favorite, Read, and Review!